When people think of a state park, they often imagine significant or
unique natural features that warrant the need to be protected
for posterity.
First-time visitors to James "Pate" Philip (formerly Tri-County)
State Park may initially wonder what the area's specific feature is.
After all, the land is predominantly farmland that had been tilled
and grazed for years. The north branch of Brewester Creek flows through
the property, but most of the streambed had been channeled to move
water away from former agricultural fields. Along the north boundary
of
James "Pate" Phillip State Park, starting in the east, a
row of houses rises up like a wall against a sea of grasses. Further
west
along the boundary is an active gravel pit and by the Bartlett
Park District sport field. To the west of the park, across Route
25, is a landfill in the process of being closed.

The significance
of James "Pate" Phillip State Park clearly appears after taking
a closer look. First, the mere fact that this amount of land is preserved
and protected from further development is significant. This land adds
to the large block of open space to the south, which currently is preserved
as the 3,432 acre Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve. Together, both
spaces significantly improve the integrity of the natural processes
throughout the region, providing corridors that facilitate animal movement
and seed dispersal. In addition, this area enables breeding populations
of animals, such as sandhill cranes, herons and Blanding's turtles, to
find undisturbed habitat to raise their offspring. And with any large
block of preserved land, there is a potential for a higher diversity
of animals and plants to exist, meaning more species to participate
in the food web and water cycle.

Second, this land
contains the remnants of one of the most diverse natural systems that
ever graced the Illinois landscape, the tall grass prairie and its associated
communities. Hidden among the overused landscape are pieces of a puzzle
that represent what once was a rich tapestry of life. A remnant wetland
managed to survive in the center of this park and is
home to an Illinois endangered species, the dwarf bur reed. This plant alone warranted listing this wetland as an Illinois Wetland Reserve
in 1990.

History

The goal of James
"Pate" Phillip State Park is to preserve these remnant pieces
and to restore the ecosystems in order to support the highest possible
level of biodiversity. Beginning in 1991, the state of Illinois developed
the James "Pate" Phillip State Park Restoration Plan which guided the initial restoration of the native landscape. Significant
portions of the park already have been seeded to prairie. Prescribed
burns were introduced to contain woody growth encroaching on the prairie
environment. In addition, drainage tiles along the east boundary were
exposed and broken slowing the water flow from the park and collecting in pools.
By resaturating the soil, wet prairies and marshes will develop,
creating habitat for many species of plants and animals, such as the
dwarf bur reed, Blanding's turtle, yellow-headed blackbird and
migrating waterfowl.

The Illinois Department
of Natural Resources has chosen to locate their Region II offices in
the southeast corner of the park. In conjunction with this office, the
state constructed the James "Pate" Phillip State Park Visitor
Center, which opened in December of 2002 and is operated by the Forest
Preserve District of DuPage County. This unique partnership allows
restoration and education to proceed hand-in-hand.

Visitor
Center

The visitor center
highlights the reasons and needs for restoration to occur in natural
areas, where ever they may be located. Exhibits details the impacts of human intervention over the years, such
as fragmenting the landscape through plowing and building, clogging
the natural waterways with chemical and sediment loading, and draining
the land of water to enable farming and development to occur. Through
visually stunning photomurals, interactive displays and activities,
visitors discover the need to protect and restore the broken natural
processes. A small theater features videos that tell the story
of this land -- from the glaciers that sculpted the land to the explorers
who discovered the land, the settlers, farmers and developers who tamed
the land, and the individuals who now are restoring the land.

Along with these
fixed elements, there is a wide range of programming. Younger visitors
are able to participate in hands-on activities designed to introduce
the prairie and its animals through sensory-based programs. Older elementary
school groups will begin to explore ecosystem concepts such as the water and food
cycles. At this level, active
restoration projects will be undertaken to model how individuals can
help restore native lands. Older groups also will participate in active
restoration work by monitoring natural areas for plant and animal life,
assisting in the development of resource management plans for specific
areas, and then actively working to increase the local biodiversity.
From kindergartner to adult, there is a program for everyone.

As people visit
James "Pate" Phillip State Park for the first time, they should
remember that the story of this land is not completely told in what
it is now but what this land will become. As the land recovers, the
plant and animal life that once flourished throughout the area will
return as well. Outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to come back often
and to watch this land transform itself into a functioning, diverse
natural area.